An Update In the Teddy Bear Case

The british teacher that was arrested and put in jail in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammed was allowed to return home after receiving a pardon from the Sudan President. The teacher said that she never intended to offend anyone and had great respect for Islam. I'm glad to see that the Sudan President finally came to his senses a little bit. I thought that this was rediculous in the first place and should not have even been an issue to begin with.

Suspect In Clinton Office Case

A judge ordered a mental health evaluation for the man responsible for taking hostages at one of Hilary Clinton's campaign offices. “I think it’s very, very important, to keep this man under lock and key for now until we get to the bottom of his mental health problems,” Rochester District Court Judge Daniel Cappiello said. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of criminals getting a break because they are "mentally unstable". It is way too easy for criminals to use that as an excuse these days. I think that regardless of mental illness, people that are a danger to society belong behind bars for good.

Romney To Address Questions About Faith

Thursday in Texas, Mitt Romney will give a speech regarding his mormon faith and questions that have been raised about it. The title of his speech will be Faith in America and it will be given not far from the location where John F. Kennedy gave his speech in order to diffuse questions about his faith before an election. I think that this can only be beneficial for Romney and will probably gain him a few extra republican votes.

New Deal On Fuel Efficiency

On Friday, Congressional Democrats reached a compromise regarding automobile fuel efficiency. The compromise will increase fuel efficiency by about 40%. Automakers will be required to produce all of their cars and light trucks to obtain 35 mpg including SUV's by 2020. The could lead to greater strides in fuel efficiency including an increased use of ethanol as fuel. With gas prcies climbing as high as they have been recently, I'm glad to see that cars will be becoming a little more efficient when it comes to fuel.

Imus To Go Back On the Air

After nearly eight months of banishment from the airwaves, Don Imus is scheduled to be heard once again Monday at 6 a.m. on WABC-AM. The broadcast will also be simulcast on cable on RFD-TV. Many members of the black community are protesting radio station that will be broadcasting Imus' return. I am very interested to hear what Imus has to say regarding his firing following the Rutgers episode. The only thing that I am worried about is that he may tone his show down a good bit because he will be afraid to say anything that may offend someone. It's a shame; people need to stop being so sensitive and stop looking for something to stir up. It's freedom of speech...if you don't like it, don't listen.

Poise in a Potential Disaster

Although I am in no way a Hillary Clinton supporter, I must give credit where credit is due. I think that she handled the hostage situation at her campaign office very well and I also think that she may gain a few extra votes as a result. She cancelled all events that she had planned and made herself available by phone to aid the police in any way possible. After the police had gotten the man to surrender, she flew from New Hampshire to personally thank the police for their efforts. Although this isn't enough to make me think she is qualified to run the country, I did gain some respect for her because of the way she handled herself in this situation.

Gore and Bush Reunited

Al Gore finally found his way into the Oval Office Monday for a Nobel Prize reception with George Bush, an ironic meeting to say the least. After sharing uncomfortable grins over pictures and media questioning, the two held a 40 minute meeting in the oval office to discuss global warming. "He was very gracious in setting up the meeting and it was a very good and substantive conversation," Gore said. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation and to hear all of the profound statements that Gore made.

President Bush Working for Peace

President Bush plans to try to make strides toward peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians next week. Syria agreed Sunday to be part of a peace conference in Annapolis, Md. on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, President Bush will meet with both Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas individually in the White House to discuss the conference on Tuesday. Hopefully, although general opinion seems to think that nothing will be resolved, they may make some strides toward ending the over-60-year period of unrest between the two.

Selfless Act

A 9-year old boy who was looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by an illegal immigrant. The mother survived the impact of the crash but was pinned inside the van and died shortly after. Jesus Manuel Cordova of Mexico happened upon the boy when crossing the border illegally and stayed with the boy until border patrol arrived the next morning. If it wasn't for Cordova, the boy probably would have gotten lost or died. Cordova was taken into custody but I hope he is given a reprieve for his selfless act of kindness to the boy who was in need.

1st Up: New Hampshire

New Hampshire set the date for its primary election last wednesday. The date is set for January 3rd, making it the earliest ever primary in Hew Hampshire's history. The decision ended months of debate which considered, for a time, moving the date all the way into December in order to keep its spot as the first state to hold its primary. I think that it will be interesting to see which candidates put a little bit more focus on New Hampshire here at the home stretch.

Controversial Teddy Bear?

A Sudanese court convicted a British teacher of insulting Islam and was sentenced to 15 days in prison for letting her student name a class teddy bear Muhammed. She dodged the more serious sentence of forty lashes. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like Sudanese government was a little too touchy regarding this situation. A teddy bear? Come on, honestly, I don't think that if they named the bear "Jesus" or "Bhudda" she would have gotten time in prison. This whole thing just seems a little over the top to me considering it was children naming a stuffed animal, not a slap in the face of Islam. It must be slow times for the Islamic religion if this case a top priority.

Now Both Clintons Oppose the War

Bill Clinton has now changed his position on the war claiming that he is against it now. Just like his wife, Clinton really has not taken a clear stance on his feelings about the war. It looks like America will just have to wait to see if this most recent epiphany will last. In his defense, Clinton did make a statement claiming that he would gladly pay higher taxes because of his wealth in order to support the troops. I am surprised to say that I appreciate Clinton's remarks. Whether he is against the war or not, he is supporting our soldiers and that is what needs to happening so much more today. Say what you want about President Bush but give the soldiers the support and respect they deserve.

Jackson Five To Reunite

Monday, Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five told BBC Radio that he and the rest of the R&B group will be going back on tour, possibly as soon as next year. "We feel we have to do it one more time," he said. "We owe that to the fans and to the public." He claims that Michael will be with the group as well. Now, that's all well and good and I'm sure that many fans would love to hear the group perform again, but I'm curious to hear how Michael will sound. I also would like to know who would actually want to see Michael back on stage again. I know this isn't politics related, but everyone loves to hear news about Michael Jackson.

Do You Have Change For a Million?

A man tried to deposit a $1,000,000 bill in Aiken S.C. on Monday. The teller refused to open the account and called the police when he began to curse at the bank employees. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and 2 counts of forgery. The second count came after investegators found out that he had bought a few packs of cigarettes from a local gas station using a stolen check. This is a new kind of stupid, but probably one of the funniest stories I've heard in a while. The only thing that might have made this story better is if he asked for change.

Just a tidbit... the largest bank note ever produced was the $100,000 gold certificate.

USS New York

For those who haven't heard about this, I thought it was pretty interesting...

The U.S.S. New York, one of five of a new class of american war ships, was built using over 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. After a ceremony in 2003, over 7 tons of the girders from the WTC were melted down and poured into a mold to build the bow section of the ship. The response of the public and the workers has been incredible. Many workers claim that the hairs on the backs of their necks stood up the first time they touched the steel and some have even postponed their retirement in oder to see the ship through the completion of its comstruction. I think that this is great idea and a great way to bring americans together to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11. I am also glad to see that they found a way to put the remains of the buildings to good use rather than just scrapping all of it. By the way, the ship's motto is "Never Forget".

Jay Leno Says What Needs to Be Said

I received this email a couple of days ago from a family member and I loved it. This is a side of Jay Leno we don't typically hear from and that's a shame because there are way too many Americans out there who have to be reminded of this. It's pretty long I think it's worth reading.

Jay Leno wrote this;
'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source,right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with thedirection the country is headed and 69 percent of the country Is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3s of the citizenryjust ain't happy and want a change So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are sounhappy about?''

* Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days aweek?
* Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summerand heating in the winter?
* Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?
* Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and seemore food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
* Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move througheach state?
* Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along theway that can provide temporary shelter?
* I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from aroundthe world is just not good enough.
* Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up andprovide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
* Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.
* You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, agroup of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and yourbelongings.
* Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglaror prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.
* This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militiasraping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
* How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoythat are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy. Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the worldhas ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a greatdisdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in th e world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have,and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord welive here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating?
Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?
The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession?
Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book forsucceeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terroristattacks?
The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take alook around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actuallycaused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in manycases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in thiscountry. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days inthe brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent ofAmericans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads andthey specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? the media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. Theyoffer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by'justifying' them in one way or another.

Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write abook about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done itthis way......Insane! Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottomof your bird cage.

Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God severaltimes a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.'

'With hurricanes,tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of birdflu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God outof the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Jay Leno

First Lady Becomes President in Argentina

First Lady Christina Fernandez claimed victory Iin Argentina's presidential election on Sunday becoming the first female president in the history of Argentina's government. Much of her support is due to her husband's effort in pulling the country from an economic collapse in 2001. She has beend compared to Hillary Clinton because they are both lawyers and both were senators alongside their husbands as president. Could this be a sign of what is to come for America? For Argentina's sake, I hope that Mrs. Fernandez is more qualified to lead a country than Clinton.

Hurricane Katrina

I am doing my research paper on Hurricane Katrina and I am intersted to hear some people's thoughts on the whole situation. Do you think that the media was heroic or hurtful in their coverage of the disaster? What about the government? Did they do a good job?

Osama... I mean, Obama

When giving a speech before the Chamber Of Commerce in Greenwood, South Carolina, presidential candidate, Mitt Romney accidentally referred to Barack Obama as "Osama". Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama said, "Apparently, Mitt Romney can switch names just as casually as he switches positions..." C'mon Bill, does this really need to be taken as a dig on your candidate? The same mistake was made by CNN when they displayed a graphic that said "Where's Obama?" during a report on Bin Laden. This is nothing more than a slip of the tongue and really should not even be given a second glance.

For Black Women: Hillary or Obama?

An interview of numerous black women in South Carolina shows that many are undecided of which democratic candidate to vote for and furthermore, which candidate would be most capable of running the country. Clara Vereen, a hair stylist in South Carolina said of Obama, “I fear that they just would kill him, that he wouldn’t even have a chance. One way to protect him would be not to vote for him." When asked about Clinton, she said “We always love Hillary because we love her husband. A man is supposed to be the head...I feel like the Lord has put man first, and I believe in the Bible.” Black women are a crucial constituency in South Carolina with 29 percent of the democratic primary vote in 2004. This gives them a pivotal role in the coming election which tells me that Clinton and Obama may be well served to promote themselves more heavily to black women in particular.

Al-Qaida Expected To Intensify

The National Strategy for Homeland Security Report said that Al-Qaida is continuously trying to increase the number of operatives that it has on U.S. soil. In response to this, the Bush administration is trying to put into motion a plan that will increase the number of domestic spies in the U.S. in order to deter such terrorists from achieving their goal. Many critics of this plan say that Bush is putting too much focus on the war in Iraq which is taking funds away from the domestic spy plan. I stand firmly behind the administrations plans and efforts to keep our country safe domestically and overseas. Nobody will ever be happy with any plan that Bush comes up with. You can bet that if he put more funds and attention into the domestic spy plan, critics would complain that he should focus more on the war. I appreciate the administration's attempt to balance the effort and I think that they are doing the best job that could be done right now.

Thompson Struggles

Lately, Fred Thompson has been having trouble causing any real excitement as a result of his campaign. Most recently, he has been sympathectically addressed as "Poor Fred". Many republicans feel let down by Thompson and his lack of zeal saying that "Right now, Fred Thompson appears to be a Ronald Reagan impostor and most likely he will be going down the tubes, soon, as more people learn about his changing positions on important issues." (Hutch Report). Tonight, Thompson was overshadowed by sparring between Giuliani and Romney. Thompson better get his act together before people forget that he is in the race altogether.

Taliban Will "Never Negotiate"

“The Taliban will never negotiate with the Afghan government in the presence of foreign forces,” said Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi concerning peace talks from Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai. The Taliban has vowed to "never negotiate" until U.S. and NATO troops are out of the country. This is a tough call. Should the U.S. and NATO troops be withdrawn and let the Afghan government take over or should they stay and try to come up with a strategy to deal with the Taliban?

Lethal Injection: Inhumane?

The Sumpreme Court is scheduled to hear a case on whether lethal injection is humane. Opponents of lethal injection claim that if it is not done perfectly, it can cause excrutiating pain. Someone please explain to me why this is a concern. So what these people are saying is that people like Timothy McVay deserve a peaceful, painless release from the horrible crimes that they comitted? In my opinion, lethal injection is too mild in the first place. Inmates on death row are people that kill people. Is there anyone out there who thinks that a little bit of pain from an injection comes anywhere close to making up for the pain that they caused their victims and their families? There is a reason that people are put on death row: they don't deserve to be here anymore. I'm not saying that America should go back to be-heading or hanging but seriously, give me a break. A little prick in the arm and that's all? And now we want to make it even milder? What happened to suffering the consequences of one's actions? The only comfort that I can take from this is that hopefully they will get what they deserve in the long run.

Nice one, Mike

Although this really isn't related to politics, it is news and I figured that whoever didnt know this already could at least have a good laugh. Everyone knows about Michael Vick's recent arrest and trial concerning dog-fighting and his funding of those rings, but apparently Michael felt that he was slipping out of the spotlight a little bit and needed to spice things up. Earlier this month, Michael Vick violated one of the conditions of his release by testing positive for marijuana. ...What a jack-ass. Honestly, you almost have to think he did this on purpose. It would take a whole new breed of idiot not to realize that that would probably be a bad idea with your sentencing coming up in less than two months. The guy had it all...endorsements, fame, a ton of money, and most importantly, a professional football career. People like him do not deserve anything that is given to them. He is a complete disgrace to professional sports and is doing the NFL a dis-service by furthering the stereotype of pro football players being "thugs". The NFL should ban Vick from the league on the grounds of plain stupidity if nothing else. Sorry about the rant but this case hits home a little more for me when I realize that this idiot is representing my city and can't take a little more pride in the positions he was GIVEN. (I say given because he certainly hasn't earned it since coming to Atlanta.)

Tatoos: The Mark of a Bad Tennant?

There is a big stir surfacing as the result of a San Antonio couple being denied the oppurtunity to live in a private appartment complex because of the husband's abundance of tatoos. The couple is outraged, saying that the rules of the complex are discriminatory. As far as I'm concerned, whether the rule is fair or not is an irrelevant matter. The complex is a private establishment and I think that they should have the right to deny anyone the privelege of living there. Obviously, the complex strives to maintain a certain type of appearance and although it may be closed-minded and unfair, they reserve the right to make their community what they want it to be. People need to stop being so concerned about things being unfair and discriminatory and just let people live the way they want to live. Chances are, if the couple were to move in to that appartment complex, they would not be happy with their neighbors anyway. People need to stop whining and just let people have some things to themselves.

GM Strike

Workers at General Motors Corporation walked out of the plant Monday in order to demand job security guarantees from the company. I think that this is a very lofty demand from the union. They are asking GM to guarantee that their new designs and ideas will catch on and be successful with the american public. Some experts say that GM is already falling behind the asian auto markets in many different areas. With this in mind, how can the union honestly expect GM to ensure job security when they can't even ensure the security of the company?

Global Warming Talks

At a U.N. meeting recently, a huge push came from many nations to take action in the effort to slow global warming. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that the time has come for "action, action, action."

"The 175-nation Kyoto pact, which the U.S. rejects, requires 36 industrial nations to reduce carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases."

I think that although many people go overboard with the tree-hugging, ultra-environmentalist "save the universe" campaigns, some steps do need to be taken to conserve the environment and they should be taken relatively soon to improve the quality of life of future generations.

Security Teams Practice Behavior Analysis

Recently, the government has been training security screeners in airports and other areas of mass transit to "weed out" possible terrorists based on patterns in their behavior and facial expressions. Since January of 2006, these specialized screeners have referred about 40,000 different travelers, with about 300 of them being arrested for carrying concealed weapons and drug trafficking. At first glance, this statistic may not seem like a big deal...almost a waste of time. But if you really look at the numbers, that's almost 300 possible terrorist attacks that have been stopped by the screeners. Civil Libertarians and Democrats are saying that these new techniques violate personal privacy and facilitate racial profiling. I may be wrong on this, but I think that if most people were asked, they would sacrifice a little bit of privacy to ensure that they would be safe in their travels. And on the issue of racial profiling, I personally would say "get over it". It's a fact of life that people will be more suspicious about people that are different and look like they "don't belong" in that area. This is true of any country in the world, probably moreso than the United States. People should be a little more understandingof the fact that security is there for our protection. If a black, asian, hispanic, or muslim person wants to screen me because I look suspicious to them, that's fine. I would rather sacrifice the rights of the few for the protection of the many.

OJ at it again

OJ is in trouble with the law again and I have to say, I'm really not surprised. Personally, I'm through with OJ and I really don't care what is going on with him. I am ready for this whole deal to be over so we can get some real news on TV again. Between OJ and Britney, there is no time for anything else. I think it's a shame that someone who had everything going for him and is arguably one of the best football players to ever play the game just can't stop screwing up. Nobody will remember him for his accomplishments on the field. They will only remember him for killing his wife and the scandal he is involved in now and to me that seems like such a waste.

9/11 Memeorial Ceremonies

Today, in order to remember and pay respects to those who died in the attacks in 2001, millions of people participated in memorial ceremonies all over the country, specifically at Ground Zero. Many people are beginning to wonder how much longer we should keep recognizing the anniversary of the tragedy. As far as I'm concerned, paying respect to the heroes and victims of that tragic day should never stop. It does not have to be some grandiose, marathon memorial but I don't think that a few minutes of silence or rememberance, one day out of the year is too much to ask for the most devestating tragedy in the history of our country. But it should not stop there. 9/11 should also be viewed as a day to recognize, not only the heroes that died that day, but those who put their life on the line day in and day out to watch over us. Being the son of a fireman, I may be bias but I feel that those people deserve to be recognized every now and then for what we so easily overlook. Like I said, nobody should be expected to devote their entire day to memorials and ceremonies 6 years after the event, but its the least we could do to take just a moment to remember that day and those who lost their lives. And next time you happen to see a fireman, stop just for a second to thank them for what they do. It's nice to know that bravery and selflessness don't go unnoticed.

China steps-up on safety inspections

In a reaction to the overwhelming amount of recalls on Chinese products such as toothpaste, pet food, and toys, Chinese president, Hu Jintao, told President Bush that China was taking measures to be more vigilant in their safety inspections of these toys. This should help ease the minds of some Americans who were concerned by the recent mass recalls of their Chinese products. Regardeless of promises that Jintao might make, this can't be good for the stereotype of generally "cheap" chinese products.

Bush: 'Fewer American forces' possible in Iraq

On a surprise visit to an Iraqi air force base on Monday, President Bush said that it may be possible to maintain the current level of security in Iraq with a fewer number of troops. Im glad to see that many more of our troops will most likely be coming home soon, but I am just as glad to see that they may be coming home based on results of the war effort rather than cowardly politicians' reactions to protests and negative media. I am 100% percent for bringing the troops home asap but I am not ignorant enough to think that a hasty mass withdrawal is a good idea.

"In other words, when we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from the position of fear and failure," said President Bush.

It is easy to see that all of the troops are in good spirits and believe in the efforts that THEY are making for US. The only people that seem to be against the war effort are those that are watching from the outside and making judgements based solely on what they see on CNN. Whether you respect the leader of our country or not, those that are fighting to make our country a safer place for people like you and me deserve your unbridled support and prayers. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but before you make an assumption or negative comment about the war effort, stop to think about what is important.

With this in mind I'm proud to see that our President has a backbone and is commited to doing what is right and best for our country rather than what is popular.